South Koreans cast ballots to elect a new parliament on Wednesday, braving the continued threat of the coronavirus across the nation.
Voters were advised to follow strict precautions to prevent the virus from spreading, such as wearing face masks and plastic gloves, and maintaining a safe distance from each other.
The Seoul metropolitan area, Busan, the Chungcheong region, Gangwon and Jeju are expected to see some of the closest matches in the general elections.
Many are paying attention to see whether this year’s voter turnout will surpass 70 percent for the first time in nearly three decades on the back of high public interest, given the record-high early voting turnout.
![[Kim Seong-kon] Democracy and the future of South Korea](http://res.heraldm.com/phpwas/restmb_idxmake.php?idx=644&simg=/content/image/2024/04/16/20240416050802_0.jpg)
